There is one very important thing both you and your hubby-to-be need to get done before D-Day. Health check-ups are not only advised but a must-do for a happy and healthy married life. Many are apprehensive about this and have pre-conceived notions, but doing this will help you avoid unwanted and unneeded stress and problems later in a marriage. Knowing your intended partner’s health doesn’t imply that the marriage itself is on troubled grounds. But it will enable you to take proper medical care if required.
What is a premarital checkup?
A premarital checkup is defined as examination conducted for soon-to-be-married couples in order to identify if there is any injury with genetic blood diseases, such as sickle-cell anemia – or infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, C, and HIV/ Aids.
Why should we have a premarital checkup?
It is to provide you and your partner with medical consultation on the odds of transmitting any discovered diseases, also to give options and alternatives for helping you planning a perfectly healthy family. A premarital checkup also helps a couple on how to take care of each other. If you find out about your soon-to-be-husband's tendency on high blood pressure or cholesterol, you can start learning to plan a healthy diet after the wedding.
When is the right time to conduct the premarital checkup?
Basically, a premarital checkup can be done anytime; however, the right time is six months before the wedding.
What are the conditions to be checked-up?
1. Generally, it is a blood test routine and hemoglobin analysis. It is to check if there are blood abnormalities, for example, thalassemia trait.
2. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) is conducted to know about the inflammation process.
3. Blood type and Rhesus factor test, to know the possibility of the baby's blood type. The blood type and rhesus test are useful for the fetus
4. Complete Urine Test, to monitor kidney function and other diseases that are related to kidney or urinary tract
5. A blood sugar test is conducted to monitor the possibility of diabetes mellitus.
6. HBsAG test is conducted to know the possibility of Hepatitis B.
7. VDLR/RPR test is conducted to know the possibility of syphilis disease.
8. TORCH test is conducted to detect the infection caused by Toxoplasma parasite, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes virus in which can cause defects on the fetus and premature babies
So, do we really have to do premarital checkup?
Yes, we really suggest you do so. Through premarital checkup, you and your partner may be aware of the turbulence that you may face down the road. Whether or not are there things to be cautious, it is always better to have a heads-up.